Trump administration sends additional refueling aircraft to Israel
The US is boosting its military presence in Israel with dozens more aerial tankers, signaling a potential broader operation against Iran.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has informed Israel that it is sending dozens more aerial refueling aircraft to the country ahead of a possible expansion of military operations against Iran, Axios reported, citing three US and Israeli officials.
Currently, the US has about 30 military tanker aircraft at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and roughly the same number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel. Israeli officials say the US plans to send several dozen more in the coming days.
US military personnel prefer using Ben-Gurion Airport because other regional airbases are more vulnerable to Iranian attacks and less safe for American aircraft.
Trump has not yet made a final decision on a large-scale offensive against Iran, but several new military plans were presented to him at a Situation Room meeting earlier this week. According to US and Israeli officials, Trump may order an escalation within days.
The increase in US military presence has sparked political controversy in Israel, as the large number of tanker aircraft at Ben-Gurion could disrupt civilian air traffic during the peak summer tourist season.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the US Senate have blocked a defense spending bill over the war with Iran.
